So, here we are. After a period of hype, speculation, and much discussion of an awkward hand gesture from Sakurai, the final addition to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s first DLC roster has been revealed. It’s none other than Byleth, of Fire Emblem: Three Houses fame.

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Naturally, fans have had all kinds of thoughts about this decision. Sublime as Three Houses may be, was Byleth really the right pick to close out the first Fighters Pass? Let’s take a look at some reasons why the silent protagonist’s announcement has been so controversial, as well as some to explain why they might have been a perfect choice.

10 Great Addition: They’re A Big Switch Name

With the barnstorming success of Nintendo Switch, it’s not only a system for hardened fans of the House Of Mario. A lot of owners, in fact, may never have picked up a Nintendo console before. Of them, many with have flocked to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, with the game having cemented its place as one of the biggest titles on the system.

Three Houses is in the same situation, really, which will make Byleth’s addition a much bigger deal for some of these players than an older, more iconic character. More generally, while we’re riding the wave of recent hype, Byleth was a fitting call.

9 Bad Idea: “Too Many Swordsmen, Are There?”

Via: YouTube (PolarisZenKai's Amiibo Fights!)

Ah, yes. We might as well tackle the huge, obvious, fluorescent elephant in the polka dot dress in the room right now: Byleth is another sword-wielding character. The Smash series has become a festival of sword-wielders at this point, with everyone from Link to Cloud Strife brandishing a blade.

As such, many fans were not particularly impressed to see the Three Houses protagonist announced to join the fray. Sakurai clearly anticipated this disappointment, throwing a snarky little joke about this very fact into the reveal presentation.

8 Great Addition: Newer Fire Emblem Fans Will Appreciate It

Via: Engadget

As we’ve already discussed, those who are fairly new to Nintendo consoles have surely picked up on the buzz around the Switch. By extension, its biggest releases have also surely been brought to their attention, and there have been few bigger than Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

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The Fire Emblem franchise is a sensation, there’s no denying, but in terms of mainstream appeal, Three Houses really has broken out in a big way, which newcomers and old hands alike can appreciate. With that being the case, perhaps the time really was ripe for the protagonist of the new game to hop into Smash?

7 Bad Idea: There Are So Many Fire Emblem Representatives Already

Via: Nintendo Everything

And so we arrive at the second big anti-Byleth sentiment: Fire Emblem is already amply represented in Smash. Back in 2001, when the GameCube’s Super Smash Bros. Melee was released, the characters Marth and Roy were quite unfamiliar to a lot of western players. Since then, the series’ popularity in the west has blossomed, and Fire Emblem’s Smash contingent has expanded a great deal.

The likes of Corrin, Chrom, Lucina, and Ike have been added to Smash, and while they aren’t all variants on Marth and his moveset, they’re very similar characters overall. In terms of aesthetic, they’re all quite samey, which isn’t really in keeping with the mashup vibe that Smash is all about.

6 Great Addition: Byleth Doesn’t Play Like Other Fire Emblem Characters

This is one of the key points of the whole debate: does it really matter which series a character derives from, if their Smash moveset is still unique and interesting? That’s subjective, of course, but if it doesn’t to you, it’s worth giving Byleth a shot.

Some Smash fans are hoping for a Monster Hunter character, whose special moves could consist of an attack from a different weapon type (a slow, powerful hammer swing as one, a quick, far-reaching jab with a longsword as another). This is exactly the principle behind Byleth, as their moves use different Hero’s Relics with entirely different properties. Too many swordsmen, are there? Don’t worry, Byleth’s bringing three very varied weapons to battle!

5 Bad Idea: It Was A ‘Third-Party Fighters Pass’

As Smash fans have come to learn, you can never question the whims of Sakurai. You can never predict what he’s about to do. When he ignores your heartfelt pleas and goes ahead and releases dang Piranha Plant as a playable character, all you can do is roll with the punches and accept that Sakurai giveth and Sakurai taketh away.

In the case of the game’s first Fighters Pass, though, it definitely did appear that a trend had been established. All characters in it were third-party, so it seemed safe to assume that the last pick would be too. Hopes were high that another interesting non-Nintendo personality had been saved for last.

4 Great Addition: Shows That More ‘Conventional’ Characters Can Still Be Unique And Different

Via: USgamer

As we’ve seen, most of the Byleth backlash revolves around the fact that they’re simply another Fire Emblem character. With their Hero’s Relics in hand, they’re going to play very differently to the likes of Marth and Ike, but that’s the truth of it.

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In truth, though, maybe we can take this as a positive too. Byleth could have been just another Marth clone (albeit with a fancy extendable move or two via the Sword of the Creator). Instead, Byleth is armed with a set of weapons that work very differently, thereby proving that Sakurai and the team are committed to keeping characters varied regardless of the franchise they call home. This has got to be encouraging going forward, for those unhappy with a future new character reveal.

3 Bad Idea: Perhaps Less Interest In Future Reveals?

Via: GameSpot

Of course, Smash Ultimate is a star of the Switch’s line-up, a true must-have for the system. Its popularity is sure to endure until… whatever’s next for the series. This doesn’t mean that the game’s fans can’t become disillusioned, though.

If you’re familiar with Nintendo fans and their tremendous excitement for Nintendo Directs, you’ll know how crucial this hype can be. The same is true of new Smash Ultimate character announcements and Sakurai’s now-iconic Smash character breakdowns. Those who were waiting with bated breath ahead of Byleth’s reveal (the first character who hadn’t been officially revealed before Sakurai’s presentation) and came away disappointed may not be so interested ahead of the next one.

2 Great Addition: There’s Another Fighters Pass To Come; More Opportunities For Other Characters

Another element of the argument is that Byleth isn’t a bad character choice as such. What’s more important is the fact that they were chosen over so many other popular characters, who would’ve rounded out the first wave of DLC fighters with more of a bang.

The good news on that score, of course, is that a second Fighters Pass is in the works for the game. In that sense, there was less ‘pressure’ on the character slot Byleth now occupies, because it’s not really the last one. Don’t worry, there are still chances for Kingdom Hearts' Sora and the like to possibly make it in!

1 Bad Idea: They’re Just A Generic Protagonist

The whole concept of Byleth (and similar Fire Emblem protagonists) is that they’re specific. You can’t make them your own character via customization, but they’re still sort of blank slates regardless. Much like Link.

Unlike Link (more specifically, Marth and others from the Fire Emblem roster) Byleth appears only in one series entry, making them a silent protagonist we haven’t really connected to yet as much as we could have. They’re just a little bland as a result.

NEXT: 10 Games To Play If You Love Super Smash Bros. Ultimate